Saudi causing immense carnage in Yemen: UN chief

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that there must be accountability for the "appalling conduct" of the ongoing war on Yemen after a recent Saudi airstrike left over 140 civilians dead and prompted global condemnations.

Aerial attacks by the Saudi-led coalition have already caused immense carnage, and destroyed much of the country's medical facilities and other vital civilian infrastructure," Ban told reporters on Monday, adding, "More broadly, there must be accountability for the appalling conduct of this entire war."

More than 140 people lost their lives and over 525 others sustained injuries on October 8 when Saudi military aircraft struck a hall in the Yemeni capital Sana’a where rows of people were attending a funeral.

Meanwhile, the UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein in a statement released on Monday strongly denounced the Saturday airstrike, saying that the bombing of the funeral showed that violations continued unpunished.

"Such outrageous attacks cannot be allowed to continue," the UN rights chief said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also renewed his call for an international probe into possible war crimes committed in Yemen.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zeid pointed out that countries belonging to the Human Rights Council had contributed to "a climate of impunity" in Yemen by failing to investigate adequately.

The council last month declined to set up an independent inquiry into abuses in Yemen.

The council last month declined to set up an independent inquiry into abuses in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is among the 47 member states of the forum.

"The Human Rights Council's inability to take decisive action by setting up an international investigation is contributing to a climate of impunity, and violations continue to occur on a regular basis," Zeid said.

However, the council voted to support a Yemeni probe that reports to Hadi - a decision decried by human rights activists.

SS